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Background: Supportive care has been found to improve quality of life and reduce the disease burden for aging individuals. After a heart attack, elderly patients often require a caregiver. In developing communities, caregiving responsibilities frequently fall on family members. Accordingly, we designed a randomized controlled clinical trial to assess the effect of an educational program on perceived stress and care burden among family caregivers of elderly heart attack patients. Method: In this clinical trial (IRCT20220905055894N1, 01/02/2023), family member caregivers were the study participants, assigned to either intervention or control groups using a simple random sampling method. The control group received only routine in-home caregiving information, without additional nurse training or support, whereas the intervention group received multimedia-based training, monitoring, and communication support from a trained nurse over one month. Perceived stress levels and caregiving burden were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Caregiving Burden Inventory, respectively. Results: Before the intervention, a high level of caregiving stress (34.07 ± 8.61 in the control group vs. 34.17 ± 8.62 in the intervention group) and burden (77.7 ± 15.51 in the control group vs. 79 ± 15.6 in the intervention group) was observed. After one month of intervention, the average scores of stress and burden remained unchanged in the control group, whereas the intervention group showed a significant reduction (P < 0.001). The inter-group comparison revealed lower levels of stress and care burden in the intervention group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: A brief multimedia education intervention could help alleviate the stressful conditions experienced by family caregivers of elderly heart attack patients. Future studies could investigate whether a more extended educational program would have more lasting effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most children with a rare disease are cared for by their family members but parenting such a child is extremely demanding due to the complexity and severity of symptoms, with serious physical, emotional, social, and financial consequences for caregivers. Although religion may serve as a positive coping strategy, little is known about its role in helping caregivers manage the stress related to the burden of caregiving in Poland. Therefore, we surveyed 925 Polish family caregivers of children with rare diseases to understand the association between caregivers' religiosity and their caring experiences. The findings suggest that parents' religiosity is associated with a more positive caregiving experience, perceived quality of life, and experienced caregiving burden. While religious caregivers reported experiencing less distressing emotions and stressed the encouraging impact of their child's disease on their life more often, non-religious caregivers experienced role captivity and role overload more frequently. Since religion may serve as a source of strength and a protecting factor against mental health problems and the burden of caregiving, healthcare professionals should be aware of the importance of religious and spiritual care, and caregivers' religiosity should be considered an integral part of a holistic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Based on the two‐factor model of caregiving appraisals, this study aims to (1) investigate the relationships between competence in dementia care and job satisfaction (work attitudes in positive aspect) and turnover intention (work attitudes in negative aspect) among formal caregivers in nursing homes, and (2) examine the mediating roles of positive aspects of caregiving (caregiving appraisals in positive aspect) and caregiving burden (caregiving appraisals in negative aspect) in the above associations. Design: A cross‐sectional design was used. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the proposed model. STROBE checklist guides the reporting of this study. Methods: Using the multistage cluster sampling method, 407 formal caregivers were selected from 43 nursing homes across 7 districts/counties in China. Results: The proposed model shows a good model fit. Competence in dementia care shows significant positive associations with increased job satisfaction and decreased turnover intention among formal caregivers in nursing homes. Caregiving burden and positive aspects of caregiving mediate the relationships between competence in dementia care and both job satisfaction and turnover intention. Furthermore, the relationship between positive aspects of caregiving and job satisfaction is stronger than that with turnover intention, but the relationship between caregiving burden and turnover intention is not stronger than that with job satisfaction. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the two‐factor model of caregiving appraisals effectively elucidates the associations and underlying mechanisms between competence in dementia care and formal caregivers' work attitudes. Specifically, two crucial conclusions are drawn: (1) competence in dementia care is associated with higher levels of job satisfaction and lower levels of turnover intention among formal caregivers in nursing homes; (2) caregiving burden and positive aspects of caregiving serve as parallel mediators in these associations. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: Policymakers and nursing homes managers should implement a series of measures aimed at formal caregivers in nursing home. Specifically, allocating more resources to enhance the competence in dementia care of formal caregivers is crucial, given its significant association with elevated job satisfaction and reduced turnover intention. Besides, positive and negative caregiving appraisals emerge as proximal factors influencing work attitudes of formal caregivers. Therefore, intervention projects focused on formal caregivers in nursing home should target enhancing positive experiences and alleviating caregiving burden. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies (DBMD) are rare progressive, X-linked diseases of muscle wasting characterised by the early onset and prognosis of premature death. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of providing care for a person with DBMD on caregivers' quality of life, perceived burden and financial well-being. Results: 202 Polish caregivers of a person with DBMD were included and completed a self-administered, computer-assisted online survey. Results show that DBMD affects the quality of life of caregivers who score significantly lower than the national average in every domain: 85.1% of DBMD caregivers scored below the national average in the physical health domain; in the environmental domain 83.7%; in the social relationships domain 82.2%; and in the psychological domain 72.3%. It also demonstrates that DBMD is a source of severe burden (mean score of 35.3). Finally, we report that while some dimensions of respondents' quality of life and perceived burden were associated with patients' age and caregivers' educational status, financial well-being was the most important predictor of respondents' quality of life and caregiving burden. Conclusions: To improve DBMD caregivers' quality of life and alleviate their burden, future intervention programs should promote resiliency and active coping and develop a social support system and respite care. Additionally, it is crucial to provide caregivers with adequate financial resources to fulfil their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caregiving for people with mental illness (PwMI) could be burdensome, especially for informal caregivers. However, there is a scarcity of research investigating caregiving burden among informal caregivers of PwMI in China at the national level. To fill this gap, this study examined the prevalence of caregiving burden, depression, and anxiety, as well as their associated factors, among a cross-sectional sample of informal caregivers of PwMI in China. Methods: Data were collected via an online survey between June and November 2023. Caregiving burden, depression, and anxiety were measured by the Zarit Burden Interview, the Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. Information on caregivers' sociodemographic, care recipients' sociodemographic and disease-related, and caregiving-related characteristics was also collected. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to identify associated factors of caregiving burden, depression, and anxiety. Results: A total of 1,224 informal caregivers of PwMI in China were included in the final analysis. 72.1% of the participants had high caregiving burden, 53.5% had moderate to severe depression, and 43.1% had moderate to severe anxiety. Caregiving burden, depression, and anxiety were inter-correlated with each other but exhibited different profiles of associated factors. The most important factors associated with all the three outcomes were disease-related characteristics, particularly care recipients' symptom stability, medication compliance, and insight. Informal caregivers of males with mental illness had higher levels of caregiving burden, depression, and anxiety than those of females. There was a lack of differentiation in caregiving burden, depression, and anxiety based on care recipients' diagnosis. Formal or common-law marriage was a protective factor for caregiver depression and anxiety but not for caregiving burden. Conclusion: Informal caregivers of PwMI in China experienced a high level of caregiving burden, depression, and anxiety. Urgent actions are needed to relieve caregiving burden, depression, and anxiety among informal caregivers of PwMI in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The caregiving burden of the spousal caregivers (SCGs) to individuals with cognitive impairment poses public health challenges with adverse psychosocial and physiological effects. However, few studies have investigated the neurobiological impact of caregiving, particularly through the investigation of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Methods Using data from a longitudinal cohort at Chungnam National University Hospital, the relationship between caregiving burden, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration was examined in 38 older adult couples over a 16-month period. Caregiving burden was assessed through a multifaceted approach. For factors related to the care recipient, we assessed cognitive function and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Factors regarding the SCGs included the measurement of perceived depression. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was used as a plasma biomarker for neuroinflammation and neurofilament light chain (NfL) for neurodegeneration. Regression analyses were adjusted for age, sex, apolipoprotein E status, follow-up interval, vascular risk factors, and physical activity. Results Changes in depression among SCGs were significantly correlated with increased GFAP levels (p  = .003), indicating that greater depressive symptoms during caregiving are associated with increased neuroinflammation. In contrast, no significant correlations were found between changes in cognitive function or neuropsychiatric symptoms in care recipients and the plasma biomarker levels of SCGs. Additionally, there was no significant association between changes in depression and NfL levels in SCGs. Conclusions The psychological stress experienced by SCGs while caring for partners with cognitive impairment actively contributes to neuroinflammation, a well-known risk factor for various diseases. This study emphasizes the need to address psychological stress experienced by older adult caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the effect of caregiving burden on the mental well-being of parents of children with cleft lip/palate, with life satisfaction as a mediator. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 347 parents of children with cleft lip/palate. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with the parents between March 18 and September 4, 2023. The data collection tools included a sociodemographic data form, the Zarit Burden Interview, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. It was found that parents with a higher caregiving burden had lower levels of life satisfaction. Additionally, parents with higher life satisfaction reported better mental well-being. The findings indicated that as the caregiving burden increased, the mental well-being of the parents decreased. The results suggest that life satisfaction mitigates the negative impact of caregiving burden on mental well-being. These findings suggest that life satisfaction plays a significant mediating role in maintaining and supporting parents' mental health. Parents with higher life satisfaction appear to cope better with the challenges posed by caregiving burden, which in turn helps them maintain better mental well-being. The findings show that as the caregiving burden increases, both life satisfaction and mental well-being decrease. Therefore, it is crucial to develop practical interventions to support these parents. • The results indicate that life satisfaction reduces the negative effects of caregiving burden on mental well-being. • This study shows that life satisfaction significantly mediates the support and protection of parents' mental health. • The study show that parents' life satisfaction levels and mental well-being decrease with increasing caregiving burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There are over 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S., with a projected increase of 24.4% over the next decade. Currently, little is known about the relationship between a cancer survivor’s caregiving responsibility and their psychological distress. This study examines whether cancer survivors who assume the role of informal caregivers (surviving caregivers) experience greater psychological distress than cancer survivors without caregiving responsibilities. Methods: Data were drawn from the National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS5, Cycles 1 through 4, 2017–2020). The analytical sample included 2,579 U.S. cancer survivors. Caregiving responsibility was self-reported, and psychological distress was assessed through the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). Accounting for the complex design features of HINTS and jackknife replicate weights, a multivariable multinomial logistic regression model was fit to compute adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and their associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Overall, 19.3% of cancer survivors had mild psychological distress, and 10.9% had moderate to severe psychological distress. Approximately 19.1% of the cancer survivors self-reported caregiving responsibilities. Compared to cancer survivors with no caregiving responsibilities, surviving caregivers had more than twofold greater odds of experiencing mild (aOR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.17, 4.29) and moderate to severe (aOR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.07, 4.46) psychological distress. Other factors associated with greater psychological distress among cancer survivors included female sex, lower perceived health status, and having one or more chronic diseases. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that caregiving among cancer survivors has a substantial adverse impact on their mental and emotional well-being. Cancer surviving caregivers are a distinct subgroup that navigates both survivorship and caregiving burdens at the same time. There is a need to identify and develop tailored interventions, programs, and resources for this vulnerable group of cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Effective response and reducing the burden of family care for children with cancer is critical, and China currently lacks a specific assessment tool. Aims This study aimed to translate and validate the Caregiving Burden Scale for Family Caregivers of Children with Cancer (CBSFC-CC) and then test and implement the tool. Methods According to the Beaton cross-cultural debugging guide, preliminary Chinese version of CBSFC-CC scale was formed, which was suitable for Chinese language environment and clinical context. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed to verify structural validity. Convergent validity, discriminant validity and reliability were also conducted. Results A total of 529 family caregivers of children with cancer participated in the survey. EFA extracts and combines four factors and explained 65.80% of the total variation. CFA proved that all the goodness-of-fit indicators were acceptable. The Cronbach’s alpha of the Chinese version of CBSFC-CC was .96, and the test–retest reliability coefficient was .95. Four dimensions and 29 items were identified in the final Chinese version of CBSFC-CC. Conclusion The chinese version CBSFC-CC is scientifically reasonable and has good reliability and validity, which can be applied to the investigation of the nursing burden of family caregivers of children with cancer in China.

Purpose: This scoping review was conducted to synthesize existing literature into a map of the common needs of families caring for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at home. Materials and methods: A systematic search of studies published between January 2012 and December 2022 was conducted across databases. The selected studies reported the needs or unmet needs of patients with TBI and/or their family caregivers (FCs). Results: A total of 12 publications were identified. The results suggest that the common needs of families caring for patients with TBI at home include: information about TBI as a disease; information about the continuum of TBI healthcare services; information about adaptive technologies; education and skilling of FCs; psychological support and counseling; physical and occupational therapy services; follow-up care and transitional care management; respite care; peer support; financial assistance, advocacy, and legal services; emotional support from the family and community; and assistance with physical patient care and instrumental activities of daily living. Conclusion: The mapped needs provide insight into supportive interventions required to enhance the health outcomes of patients with TBI and their families during and after rehabilitation. The needs also highlight directions for research and healthcare services for patients with TBI. Implications for Rehabilitation: The families caring for patients with traumatic brain injury at home end up living in situations characterized by multiple unmet needs, and these can be a source of poor health outcomes for the family and patients with traumatic brain injury. The identified needs of families caring for patients with traumatic brain injury reveal gaps in the discharge planning and care coordination after acute and rehabilitation care. Addressing these needs requires a multidisciplinary approach and planning. Interventions using a holistic approach to address the identified needs may significantly improve the health outcomes of patients with traumatic brain injury and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim s : The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between caregiving burden and pre‐death grief, with a specific focus on adult‐child caregivers in mainland China. Additionally, the study explored whether coping strategies played a mediating role in this correlation. Methods: A convenience sample of 320 adult‐child caregivers of older parents with dementia from Kunming, mainland China, was recruited for the study. Data were collected using the Chinese version of the Marwit‐Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory‐Short Form, the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers, and the Ways of Coping Checklist‐Revised. Results: Results using linear regression and multiple mediation analysis with Hayes' process model indicated that caregiving burden was positively related to pre‐death grief and that active coping mediated the relationship between them. In the female group, active coping partially mediated the association between caregiving burden and pre‐death grief, but in the male group, this mediating effect did not exist. Conclusion: The study found evidence supporting the link between caregiving burden and pre‐death grief among adult‐child caregivers of older parents with dementia in mainland China. Furthermore, the caregiving burden prevented the use of active coping, and this decrease in coping increased the perception of pre‐death grief. These associations only existed in the female group. Implications: This paper presented the importance of active coping skills in the dementia caregiving process. Impact: The findings of this study emphasize the necessity for health practitioners to provide targeted interventions regarding pre‐death grief among dementia caregivers and strengthen caregivers' active coping strategies to reduce their pre‐death grief. Community‐based and personal care support services should be promoted to alleviate their caregiving burden. Reporting Method: We have adhered to the transparent reporting of evaluations with quantitative design statements and the corresponding checklist was followed. Patient or Public Contribution: 'No patient or public involvement'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of socio-demographic and health characteristics, caregiving stress, life satisfaction, and quality of life on the caregiving burden in caregivers of Alzheimer’s patient. Methods: This study is a descriptive-correlational type study. A total of 146 individuals who are caregivers of Alzheimer’s patient constitute the sampling of the study. The Zarit Burden Interview, Caregiver Strain Index, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and SF-36 Quality of Life. Results: The care burden mean score of caregivers was 61.29±10.3. It was determined that age (β=0.648), caring duration (β=0.429), gender(β=0.672), marital status(β=0.936), educational status(β=0.863), the affinity of the caregiver with the patient(β=0.734), working status(β=0.524), perceived income adequacy(β=0.926), perceived health condition(β=0.682), presence of chronic disease(β=0.529), caregiving stress(β=0.633), life satisfaction score(β=-0.775), physical subscale score (β=-0.824) and mental subscale score(β=-0.489) quality of life had an influence on the caregiving burden (p<0.001). It was determined that the effective determining factors account for 76.4% of the variation in the caregiving burden. Conclusions: The caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients have a high caring burden. In addition to the socio-demographic and health characteristics of caregivers, caregiving stress, life satisfaction, and quality of life are important determinants of the caring burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the elderly population grows, the demand for long-term care services is increasing. Despite significant investments in care quality and workforce training, long-term care workers often face challenges such as work fatigue, heavy workloads, and inadequate support. These issues can impact job satisfaction, mental health, and care quality, leading to staff turnover. This study examines how optimism, social support, and psychological resilience relate to caregiving burden, aiming to understand their effects on caregivers' well-being and performance to enhance the quality of long-term care services. Methods: The participants were 542 long-term care workers. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and hierarchical regression were used for data analysis. Results: (1) Optimism and social support were significantly and positively correlated with psychological resilience and significantly and negatively associated with caregiving burden. (2) Regarding differences in optimism, social support, psychological resilience, and caregiving burden among long-term care workers, females scored significantly higher than males in "social support;" married workers scored significantly higher than unmarried workers in "optimism," "social support," and "psychological resilience"; workers aged 45–65 scored significantly higher than those aged 25–45 in "optimism"; workers aged 25–45 scored significantly higher than those aged 45–65 in "caregiving burden"; social workers scored significantly higher than nursing staff in "optimism." (3) Psychological resilience partially mediated the relationship between social support and caregiving burden concerning explanatory and predictive power. Conclusions: These findings suggest that optimism, social support, and psychological resilience are essential factors in reducing the caregiving burden among long-term care workers. The study highlights the importance of promoting psychological resilience and providing social support to alleviate the burden of caregiving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective response and reducing the burden of family care for children with cancer is critical, and China currently lacks a specific assessment tool. Aims: This study aimed to translate and validate the Caregiving Burden Scale for Family Caregivers of Children with Cancer (CBSFC-CC) and then test and implement the tool. Methods: According to the Beaton cross-cultural debugging guide, preliminary Chinese version of CBSFC-CC scale was formed, which was suitable for Chinese language environment and clinical context. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed to verify structural validity. Convergent validity, discriminant validity and reliability were also conducted. Results: A total of 529 family caregivers of children with cancer participated in the survey. EFA extracts and combines four factors and explained 65.80% of the total variation. CFA proved that all the goodness-of-fit indicators were acceptable. The Cronbach's alpha of the Chinese version of CBSFC-CC was.96, and the test–retest reliability coefficient was.95. Four dimensions and 29 items were identified in the final Chinese version of CBSFC-CC. Conclusion: The chinese version CBSFC-CC is scientifically reasonable and has good reliability and validity, which can be applied to the investigation of the nursing burden of family caregivers of children with cancer in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kai-Ming Jhang,1,&ast; Guan-Chun Liao,2,&ast; Wen-Fu Wang,1,&ast; Yu-Chun Tung,3,&ast; Shao-Wei Yen,4 Hsin-Hung Wu2,5 1Department of Neurology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan; 2Department of Business Administration, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan; 3Department of Pharmacy, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 4Department of Information Management, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan; 5Faculty of Education, State University of Malang, Malang, East Java, Indonesia&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hsin-Hung Wu, Email hhwu@cc.ncue.edu.twPurpose: This study aimed to find the caregiving burden level for patients with dementia who had multiple chronic diseases by simultaneously considering both patient and caregiver factors.Participants and Methods: A cross-sectional study with 284 patients with dementia having multiple chronic diseases managed by the dementia collaborative care team at Changhua Christian Hospital in Taiwan was conducted. The input variables were from patients, such as age, gender, mood symptoms, and behavioral and psychological symptoms, and caregivers, including age, relation to the patient, caregiver’s mood, and caregiving burden. The Apriori algorithm was employed to determine the association between patient and caregiver factors and different caregiving burden levels by setting up the minimum support of 1% and confidence of 90% along with lift > 1.Results: When caring for patients with dementia, twenty scenarios were found for caregivers with a severe burden. In addition, 1936 scenarios were related to caregivers with a moderate-to-severe burden. Specifically, there were eight scenarios for patients with three chronic diseases which could be further categorized into five general rules. Two hundred and fifty scenarios belonging to patients with two chronic diseases could be classified into 16 different combinations from eight chronic diseases of the database.Conclusion: Caregiver’s mood, patients with mild dementia, and patients aged 75– 84 years were associated with a severe caregiving burden. College and above education of the caregiver, the patient aged 85 years or more, and at least one of caregiver’s moods were the variables to result in a moderate-to-severe burden for caregivers caring for patients with three multiple chronic diseases. Moreover, college and above education of the caregiver, mood symptom, age of the caregiver, and age of the patient were important variables for caregivers who had a moderate-to-severe burden taking care of patients with two chronic diseases.Keywords: patients with dementia, multiple chronic diseases, behavior and psychological symptoms of dementia, mood symptom, caregiving burden, dementia collaborative care team, apriori algorithm

Caring for dementia patients can impose a range of physical, psychological, and social health issues for family caregivers. Selecting precise indicators for the objective assessment of the health status is crucial for care-givers. In this review, the recent progress in biomarkers of caregiving burden in family caregivers for dementia patients is summarized, with an emphasis on neuroendocrinology, immunology, cardiovascular health, neurocognition, and molecular aging. We also analyze the heterogeneity of the biomarkers. Given the increasing number of dementia cases and the heavy burden on family caregivers, improving existing methods for biomarker detection and developing more accurate biomarkers are of great importance for evaluating and maintaining the health of family caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social support for family members who care for a relative with dementia can mitigate caregiving burden. Yet, in that evidence points to these caretakers as often experiencing isolation and loneliness while providing dementia-related care, a need remains to better understand factors contributing to their adverse support experiences. Accordingly, this study applies sensitive interaction systems theory (SIST) to examine how caregivers' direct versus indirect support-seeking behaviors relate to the quality of support responses they receive from a member of their social network. Associations between network support responses and caregiving burden are also investigated. Family caregivers (n = 411) completed a Qualtrics survey. Results from path analysis indicated that family caregivers' direct support seeking was related to supportive responses from a network member, while their indirect tactics to gain assistance predicted unsupportive reactions. Supportive and unsupportive network responses to family caregivers' support seeking were both related to greater caregiving burden. Additionally, indirect support seeking predicted greater caregiving burden, while this relationship was also partially mediated by unsupportive network responses. Findings highlight the utility of marriage and family counseling efforts to help family caregivers identify and practice strategies for communicating their varying dementia-care support needs to others while also managing unconstructive responses shared within their social network. Caregivers may additionally benefit from counseling to help them to develop coping skills beyond support seeking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the caregiving burden, quality of life and life satisfaction of caregivers of individuals with stroke during the pandemic period. A descriptive a study was performed with a sample of caregivers (n = 80) of inpatient individuals with stroke in Kayseri, Turkey. The Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale, Short Form Health Survey-36, and Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale were used as well as some open-ended questions. Using descriptive analysis and correlations, results showed that caregiving burden of the participants was correlated to quality of life and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 (p < 0.05). Specific types of burden include: stress, isolation, financial issues, disruption of therapy, patient-caregiver relationship, and kinship relations. These findings provide important information about the increased burden of caregivers during the pandemic. This study offers information to design a framework of interventions to reduce the physical, social, and psychological effects on caregivers in similar conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, additional risk factors affecting family caregivers' mental health have arisen. Therefore, personal stress coping strategies and family dynamics became important factors in reducing the impact of the pandemic on family caregivers' mental health. The present research aimed to estimate the association between COVID-19 stressors and family caregiving burden. Moreover, moderating effects of emotion dysregulation and family functioning on this association were investigated. Methods: This study analyzed data collected in April 2021 from 154 family caregivers (M age = 38.79, SD age = 9.36, range = 22–64) recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk). The impact of COVID-19 stressors on family caregiving burden was tested, and moderating impacts of emotion dysregulation and family functioning were also investigated. Results: Both COVID-19 stress exposure and stress appraisal were positively associated with family caregiving burden. Emotion dysregulation and problematic family functioning were also positively associated with family caregiving burden. A significant moderating effect of emotion dysregulation was found, such that family caregivers with higher emotion dysregulation were likely to feel more caregiving burden when they experienced more COVID-19 stressors. Significance of results: The current research highlighted the role of emotion regulation in reducing the negative impact of COVID-19 stressors on family caregiving burden. The research also emphasizes the need for intervention programs to improve emotion regulation strategies to decrease family caregiving burden during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The goal of palliative care (PC) is to improve the quality of life (QoL) of patients with life-limiting illnesses as well as their families. Ideally, PC is integrated early in the course of life-limiting illnesses. Less attention has been paid to the need for early PC for family caregivers (FCs) in lower-income settings. This observational cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the burden experienced by FCs of newly diagnosed incurable cancer patients in Egypt and characterize its relation to depression and QoL. Ninety-five adult FCs of adult patients with newly diagnosed incurable cancer completed the 22-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-22), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Short Form 12 (SF-12) to assess caregiving burden, depression, and QoL among FCs, respectively. The median (IQR) ZBI-22 score was 17(11–24) and 34% of FCs had significant burden (ZBI-22 score > 20). Assistance with late loss activities of daily living and availability for longer caregiving duration were associated significantly with higher caregiving burdens (P = 0.004 and 0.047, respectively). FCs with significant burden had significantly higher PHQ-9 scores (P = 0.0003). There was a significant negative correlation between ZBI-22 scores and the bodily pain, general health, mental health, physical function, role emotional, and social function subscales/items of SF-12. A substantial proportion of Egyptian FCs of incurable cancer patients experience significant burden early in the course of the disease. This burden is associated with depressive symptoms and worse QoL dimensions, physical, psychological, and social. In a lower-income setting, early PC interventions for FCs of incurable cancer patients are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of dependent care theory-based post-surgical home care intervention on self-care, symptoms, and caregiver burden in primary brain tumor patients and their caregivers. Methods: A parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted with patients who underwent surgery for a primary brain tumor between March 2019 and January 2020 in a tertiary hospital and with caregivers who cared for them at home. Eligible patients and caregivers were determined by block randomization. Outcome measures included validated measures of self-care agency (Self-Care Agency Scale), symptoms and interference by symptoms (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory Brain Tumor-Turkish Form), and caregiver burden (Caregiver Burden Scale). Two-way analysis of variance was used in repeated measurements from general linear models compared to scale scores. Results: Self-care agency was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group in the first and sixth months after surgery (p < 0.05). The severity of the patients’ emotional, focal neurologic, and cognitive symptoms and interference by symptoms were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Caregiver burden was significantly lower in the intervention group in the first, third, and sixth months after surgery (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Dependent care theory-based post-surgical home care intervention increased patients’ self-care and reduced symptoms and their effects. It also reduced the caregiver burden. Dependent care theory can guide the nursing practices of nurses who provide institutional and/or home care services to patients with chronic diseases and their caregivers. Trial Registration: NCT05328739 on April 14, 2022 (retrospectively registered). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Child health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has been shown to improve after epilepsy surgery and is linked to parent HRQOL. We postulated that the HRQOL of parents whose children underwent epilepsy surgery would improve over two years compared to those treated with medical therapy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the trajectory of HRQOL of parents whose children received treatment with epilepsy surgery or medical therapy over two years. Methods: This multi-center study recruited parents whose children were evaluated for epilepsy surgery. Parents completed measures of care-related QOL (CarerQOL) at the time of their children's surgical evaluation, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years later. Additional measures included parent anxiety and depression, satisfaction with family relationships, family resources and demands, and child clinical variables. A linear mixed model was used to compare the trajectories of parent HRQOL of surgical and medical patients, adjusting for baseline clinical, parent, and family characteristics. Results: There were 111 children treated with surgery and 154 with medical therapy. The trajectory of parent HRQOL was similar among parents of surgical and medical patients over the two-year follow-up. However, HRQOL of parents of surgical patients was 3.0 points higher (95%CI − 0.1, 6.1) across the follow-up period compared to parents of medical patients. Parents of seizure-free children reported 2.3 points (95%CI 0.2, 4.4) higher HRQOL relative to parents of non-seizure-free children across the two-year follow-up. Conclusion: Parent HRQOL did not improve after their children were treated with epilepsy surgery, possibly related to ongoing comorbidities in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify factors affecting the psychological well-being of family caregivers of dependent older adults in Italy. Understanding these variables is essential for designing interventions to prevent negative outcomes in at-risk caregivers. The research explored how varying levels of caregiving burden and types of perceived social support influence psychological well-being.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 387 family caregivers of older adults in the Marche region (Italy) between November 2019 and March 2020. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire assessing psychological well-being (WHO-5 Well-Being Index), caregiving burden, and social support (COPE Index). Statistical analyses were performed using Jamovi software, with a significance threshold set at p

Objective: The study aims to investigate the relationship between caregiving burden, social support, and psychological distress among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It specifically examines the mediating role of social support in the linkage between caregiving burden and psychological distress. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study utilized Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze data from a sample of mothers of children with ASD. Key variables included caregiving burden, perceived social support, and psychological distress measured with standardized tools. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS-26 for preliminary data handling and descriptive statistics, while AMOS-22 was utilized for the SEM analysis to explore the relationships between caregiving burden, perceived social support, and psychological distress among the participants. Findings: Results indicated that caregiving burden significantly predicts psychological distress (β = 0.19, p < 0.001), and social support plays a crucial mediating role in this relationship. Higher levels of perceived social support were found to significantly mitigate the impact of caregiving burden on psychological distress (β = -0.37 for social support to distress, and β = -0.43 for burden to support, p < 0.001 for both). The model fit indices (CFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.06) confirmed a good fit for the SEM model. Conclusion: The study shows the significant impact of caregiving burden on psychological distress among mothers of children with ASD. More importantly, it indicates the critical role of social support as a buffer in this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study conducted at a university hospital in Turkey that examined the impact of caregiving burden on the stress levels of family caregivers of heart failure patients. The study found a positive correlation between caregiving burden and caregiver stress, with caregiving burden explaining a significant portion of the change in stress levels. The article recommends providing support for family caregivers, enhancing home care services, and establishing support groups to alleviate caregiver stress. The study also provides insights into the demographics and experiences of caregivers, with middle-aged women who were the children of the patients being the majority. Caregiver stress and burden levels were generally low, but varied based on employment status and income level. The study highlights the importance of social support in reducing caregiver burden and stress. However, it is important to consider that the findings may only be applicable to the specific population studied. [Extracted from the article]

• Caregiving negatively affects a family caregiver' psychological and financial stress and social well-being. • There are notable racial and ethnic disparities in caregiving responsibilities and intensity of care. • The more time family caregivers of persons with dementia spent providing care per week or over time, the more likely they reported cardiovascular disease risks and diagnoses. We investigated if caregiving intensity and duration affected cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks and diagnosis and whether the relationship differed by race and ethnicity in family caregivers (FCGs) of persons with dementia. We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2015–2020 CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data using a logistic regression analysis. A total of 6132 dementia FCGs were included. We found that the more time FCGs spent providing care per week (intensity) or over time (duration), the more likely they reported CVD risks and diagnosis. However, the associations between caregiving intensity and CVD risks and diagnosis did not differ by race and ethnicity, nor did the associations between caregiving duration and the outcomes. These findings suggest future studies should be conducted to develop preventive strategies for FCGs' cardiovascular health. Further work is needed to identify the impact of race and ethnicity on the relationship between caregiving conditions and CVD with larger samples of racial and ethnic minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We explored the impact of writing a “Good Things Diary (GTDiary) of Caregiving” on family caregivers’ mental health and their evaluation of caregiving roles. Method: We analyzed data from 27 Japanese caregivers for their parents recruited through crowdsourcing. We randomly assigned the participants to one of two groups: the GTDiary of Caregiving group (15 participants) or the Control Diary of Caregiving group (12 participants). We instructed both groups to write a diary for 14 days. Pre- and post-diary questionnaires assessed participants’ well-being, caregiving burden, positive evaluations of caregiving, and stress levels. Results: We observed significant improvements in well-being and positive evaluations of caregiving only in the GTDiary of Caregiving group, which had higher well-being and more positive evaluations of caregiving after keeping the diary. However, both groups experienced reductions in caregiving burden and stress. Limitation: Our group of participants included children and stepchildren of caregivers since we made use of crowdsourcing services. Additionally, this study had a mostly male representation among participants, which does not match with the higher occurrence of female family caregivers in Japan. Consequently, the study's participants may not fully reflect the broader population of family caregivers. Conclusions: Writing a caregiving diary helps family caregivers reduce their perceived burden and stress. Focusing on “good things” in caregiving elevates their perception of positive aspects and enhances well-being.

Abstract Background Family caregiver interventions are essential to support dementia caregiving. However, such interventions are typically complex and consist of multiple components. Existing evidence rarely delineates the effectiveness and interactions between individual components. To optimise intervention, we adopt the multiphase optimisation strategy (MOST) to test the implementation fidelity and determine the effect of each component and the interactions between each component and the corresponding outcome. Methods A prospective, assessor-blinded, randomised clinical trial with fractional factorial design using the MOST principle. Two hundred fifty family dementia caregivers will be randomised to one of 16 experimental conditions in a fractional factorial design involving six intervention components: (1) dementia and caregiving education; (2) self-care skills; (3) behavioural symptom management; (4) behavioural activation; (5) modified mindfulness-based cognitive therapy; and (6) support group. The first one is the core component, and the five remaining will be examined. Physical health, caregiver burden, stress, psychological well-being, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and social support will be assessed over the 12-month study period. Following the intention-to-treat principle, linear mixed models and regression analyses will be used to examine the specific effect of the five components and their two-way interactions to propose the most effective combination. Discussion This is the first study adopting the multiphase optimisation strategy to identify the most active and engaging components of a psychological intervention for caregivers of patients with dementia. In view that dementia caregiver interventions are increasingly diversified and complex, such knowledge is important to maximise the intervention efficacy and allow the intervention to be implemented within an efficient timeframe and dosage. The optimisation of caregiver support interventions is critical to enhance the health outcomes of caregivers and care recipients, thereby, delaying possible institutionalisation and reducing the costs of long-term dementia care. Trial registration This study was retrospectively registered in the WHO Primary Registry – Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2300071235). (Protocol date 30/10/2020; version identifier 2020–2021-0045). Registered on 9 May, 2023. Reporting method SPIRIT guideline was followed. Patient or public contribution No patient or public involvement.

Introduction: Although the pressure of care has an adverse effect on mental health of parents with children with intellectual disabilities, educational training for these children can be helpful by creating independence for these children. Accordingly, the present study is conducted by determining the effectiveness of educational training for children with intellectual disabilities on reducing the burden of care for their parents. Methods: The current research was conducted as a semi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all the children under 14 withintellectual disabilities in Pakdasht city in 2021; 30 of them were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). The experimental group underwent 20 training sessions, -two sessions a week for 5 hours, but the control group did not receive any training. Zarit Burden Interview was completed by their parents. Then, the obtained data was analyzed by SPSS 18 software and univariate covariance. Results: Data illustrated the significant difference of the parental burden mean scores between the experimental and control groups (F=107/535, P<0/01); so, it can be concluded that educational training for children with educable intellectual disabilities significantly impacts caregiving-induced burden. Conclusion: Educational training for children with educable intellectual disabilities in centers related with welfare organization (private and governmental), can reduce the caregiving-induced burden and its possible devastating consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sought to assesses the impact of caring for children with ultra rare diseases (URDs) on family carers and to analyse the way these experiences differ among the caregivers of children diagnosed through prenatal or newborn screening, and those with symptom-based diagnosis. A total of 200 caregivers of 219 URDs children completed an on-line survey regarding the challenges and experiences of caregivers of URDs children. The majority of URD caregivers felt burdened by their children's health problems, emotional and behavioural changes. 46.5% reported feelings of care overload, 43% coped poorly with the stress, and many experienced a variety of feelings of distress towards the role of caregiver. While most caregivers struggled with the diagnostic odyssey and were dissatisfied with the healthcare services for URD children, caregivers of children diagnosed through prenatal or newborn screening were significantly less burdened than the parents of children with symptom-based diagnoses. Although caregivers of URDs children experience physical and emotional strain, they are often neglected by the healthcare system. A bio-psychosocial approach to URDs should therefore also include family caregivers' physical and psychosocial needs. Apart from financial and emotional support, enhancing access to genetic testing and newborn screening should be prioritised. • This study analyses the impact of caring for children with ultra rare disease (URD) on family carers. • URD caregivers felt burdened by children's health problems, emotional and behavioural changes. • Caregiving struggled with the diagnostic odyssey and healthcare services for URDs children. • Parents of screen-diagnosed children were less burdened than those with symptom-based diagnoses. • Enhancing access to genetic testing and newborn screening should be prioritised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Family caregiver interventions are essential to support dementia caregiving. However, such interventions are typically complex and consist of multiple components. Existing evidence rarely delineates the effectiveness and interactions between individual components. To optimise intervention, we adopt the multiphase optimisation strategy (MOST) to test the implementation fidelity and determine the effect of each component and the interactions between each component and the corresponding outcome. Methods: A prospective, assessor-blinded, randomised clinical trial with fractional factorial design using the MOST principle. Two hundred fifty family dementia caregivers will be randomised to one of 16 experimental conditions in a fractional factorial design involving six intervention components: (1) dementia and caregiving education; (2) self-care skills; (3) behavioural symptom management; (4) behavioural activation; (5) modified mindfulness-based cognitive therapy; and (6) support group. The first one is the core component, and the five remaining will be examined. Physical health, caregiver burden, stress, psychological well-being, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and social support will be assessed over the 12-month study period. Following the intention-to-treat principle, linear mixed models and regression analyses will be used to examine the specific effect of the five components and their two-way interactions to propose the most effective combination. Discussion: This is the first study adopting the multiphase optimisation strategy to identify the most active and engaging components of a psychological intervention for caregivers of patients with dementia. In view that dementia caregiver interventions are increasingly diversified and complex, such knowledge is important to maximise the intervention efficacy and allow the intervention to be implemented within an efficient timeframe and dosage. The optimisation of caregiver support interventions is critical to enhance the health outcomes of caregivers and care recipients, thereby, delaying possible institutionalisation and reducing the costs of long-term dementia care. Trial registration: This study was retrospectively registered in the WHO Primary Registry – Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2300071235). (Protocol date 30/10/2020; version identifier 2020–2021-0045). Registered on 9 May, 2023. Reporting method: SPIRIT guideline was followed. Patient or public contribution: No patient or public involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People in Thailand receiving palliative care at home can have complex needs and this means that the family caregiver can have a high burden of care. Aim: To assess the impact of a nursing care activities for a home-based palliative care programme (NHBPC) on the care burden among family caregivers and the care quality in older people at the palliative care stage. Methods: This quasi-experimental repeated measure study was used to investigate the effects of the nursing care activities for a NHBPC programme. Results: The mean caregiving burden and care quality scores in the experimental and control groups at post-test and 2-weeks follow-up showed significant differences (p<.05). In addition, improvement was not seen in the control group. Conclusion: The NHBPC programme significantly improved caregiving burden and quality of care in Thai older people and their family caregiver. This confirms that the NHBPC programme plays a crucial role in helping them to improve quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Little is understood about caregivers' lived experiences when first caring for patients on the nasogastric tube at home in an Asian setting. To enhance understanding, our study aimed to chart these caregivers' psycho-emotional evolutions felt during such caregiving experiences in Singapore. Method: Utilizing purposive sampling, a descriptive phenomenological study was performed, with semi-structured interviews of 10 caregivers of persons on nasogastric tube feeding conducted. Thematic analysis was utilized. Results: Our findings chart four psycho-emotional transitions of a caregiver's journey in nasogastric tube feeding and the cultural dynamics involved—(a) Disruption of Caregivers' Normality: Attempting to Grasp Reality, (b) Encountering Road-Blocks: Despondency Arises and Frustrations Abound, (c) Adjusting to the New Normal: Reclaiming Confidence and Positivity, (d) Thriving and Integrating into the New Normal, and (e) Cultural Dynamics At Play. Discussion: Our findings illuminate the understanding of caregivers' varying needs, guiding delivery of culturally-congruent caregiver support targeted at each psycho-emotional evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of the present research was to evaluate the quality of life of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), and that of their mothers. We compared the anxiety and depression scores and caregiving burden of mothers of patients with AD with the same scores of mothers of healthy children. Materials and Methods: A total of 153 patients between the ages of 2 months and 16 years with AD in our clinic, and their mothers, were contained in the patient group. An additional 141 healthy cases between the ages of 2 months and 16 years, and their mothers, were included as the control group. The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) was completed according to the children's opinions, and the Infant's Dermatitis Quality of Life Index (IDLQI), Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire, and Zarit Caregiver Burden (ZCB) scale were completed based on the mothers' opinions. Results: We detected a positive relationship between the SCORAD index and the IDLQI, CDLQI, and FDLQI scores of children with AD. We found that anxiety, depression, and caregiving burden in mothers of AD cases increased when mothers of AD cases were compared with mothers of healthy children (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, and p < 0.002, respectively). Also, based on the mothers' responses, we noted a positive correlation among the BDI, BAI, ZCB, and SCORAD index scores. Conclusions: Our study found that the quality of life of patients with AD, and that of their mothers, was negatively affected by the disease. We also found that anxiety, depression levels (not at the clinical diagnosis level, and the caregiving burden in mothers of AD cases increased when mothers of AD cases were compared with mothers of healthy children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caring for an ill relative with schizophrenia can lead to both negative and positive experiences. The study aimed to determine the relationship between caregiving burden and positive caregiving experiences and evaluate the roles of hope and social support as possible mediators in this relationship. This study included 344 Chinese family caregivers of adults with schizophrenia. Instruments included Positive Aspects of Caregiving, Herth Hope Index, Caregiver Burden Inventory, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Data was analysed by Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis H tests, Spearman correlation, and a serial mediation model. Results showed that hope and social support separately and serially mediated the relationship between caregiving burden and positive caregiving experiences. The mediation effect of hope was stronger than that of social support and their serial mediation effect. Increasing hope and social support of family caregivers may alleviate caregiving burden and improve positive caregiving experiences. • Caregiving burden and positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) can co-exist. • Hope and social support were mediators between caregiving burden and PAC. • Hope performs a stronger mediation effect than that of social support. • Hope and social support serially mediated the effect of caregiving burden on PAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Informal caregivers of older adults with dementia may experience substantial burdens during their caregiving process, especially when caring for older adults with other comorbid conditions. This study evaluated whether and how comorbidity burden for persons with dementia (PWD) was associated with caregivers’ physical, psychological, social, and financial burden as well as caregiving gain. Methods Data were from 1,065 community-dwelling older adults living with dementia and their primary caregivers in the National Health and Aging Trends Study and the National Study of Caregiving. PWD’s comorbidity burden was measured by the count of chronic conditions and the pattern of comorbidity identified by the latent class analysis (LCA). We considered four domains of caregiving burden—physical, psychological, social, and financial burden. We used linear regressions to identify the unadjusted and adjusted associations between PWD’s comorbidity burden and caregiving burden and gain. Results Of 1,065 PWD, 13.5% had 0–1 and 24.9% had 5 or more number of comorbid chronic conditions, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, an additional chronic condition is associated with an 0.11- and 0.36-point increase in caregivers’ physical and psychological burden, respectively. Caregivers of PWD with 5 or more chronic conditions had a 0.64- and 2.22-point higher score of physical and psychological burden, respectively, than those caring for PWD with 0 or 1 comorbid condition. LCA divided PWD into two classes, a high comorbidity class (69.0%) and a low comorbidity class (31.0%). Caregivers of PWD in the high comorbidity burden class had a 0.46-point higher score of physical caregiving burden than those in the low comorbidity burden class. No significant association was found between care recipients’ comorbidity burden and their caregivers’ social and financial burden or caregiving gain. Conclusions The comorbidity burden of PWD was associated with their caregivers’ physical and psychological caregiving burden. Relevant interventions to manage the comorbid conditions of people living with dementia and support their caregivers are crucial to improving their physical health and psychological wellbeing.

This study focused on the negative affect of informal caregivers of older adults. In a novel investigation, the interplay of aging anxiety, caregiving burden, and resilience as a protective factor was examined, suggesting that aging anxiety and caregiving burden are mediators for the link between resilience and negative affect. In a cross-sectional design, 191 Israeli informal caregivers of older adults (65+) participated in the study. They completed questionnaires that assessed demographic and caregiving characteristics, resilience, aging anxiety, caregiving burden, and negative affect. The findings showed a serial mediation process in which higher resilience predicted lower caregiving burden, which subsequently predicted lower aging anxiety, which subsequently predicted lower negative affect. However, the indirect path from resilience to aging anxiety and negative affect was non-significant. Based on this study's findings, the aging anxiety of informal caregivers of older adults should be professionally addressed in the early stages of caregiving because it contributes to the caregiving burden and negative affect. Additionally, resilience should be enhanced by psycho-social interventions tailored to address informal caregiver challenges that often induce caregiving burden and negative affect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background As the burdens related to dementia caregiving are vast, this study aimed to examine the relationship between life satisfaction and different types of burden reported by family caregivers of patients with dementia. Methods Data from the 2019 Korea Community Health Survey were used. The association between life satisfaction and caregiving burden reported by family caregivers of patients with dementia was investigated using multivariable regression analysis. These burdens resulted from social prejudice and temporal, physical, psychological, or economic reasons. Life Satisfaction was measured using the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Better Life Index. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the residing status of patients with dementia and the region of residence of the caregiver. Results Data of 12 617 participants were analyzed. Compared with individuals with no burden, those who reported a burden due to temporal (β = −0.23, p  = .003), psychological (β = −0.18, p <.001), and economic (β = −0.27, p <.001) demands showed poorer levels of life satisfaction. These tendencies were maintained in caregivers residing with patients and those providing care for institutionalized patients. Regarding the region where the caregiver lived, for those living in rural regions, burdens related to social prejudice or economical demands were associated with poor life satisfaction. Conclusion Family caregivers reporting caregiving-related burdens for temporal, psychological, or economic reasons had lower life satisfaction. These findings suggest the importance of considering caregiver's different needs and conditions when implementing coping strategies when caring for individuals with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although stigma and caregiving burden are important in relation to mental health recovery, few studies have been conducted on affiliate stigma and caregiving burden among family caregivers of persons with schizophrenia (FCPWS) in rural China. Aims: This study aimed to examine the severity level of affiliate stigma and caregiving burden, and identify the correlates among FCPWS in rural China. Methods: A mental health survey was conducted (N = 253 FCPWS) in Xinjin county, Sichuan province, China. Affiliate Self-Stigma Scale and Zarit Burden Interview Short Form were used. The regression analysis was performed to explore the correlates of stigma and burden. Results: Most FCPWS reported experiencing high and severe level of affiliate stigma (78.66%) and caregiving burden (95.26%). Family caregivers who were middle aged, unemployed, with high caregiving burden and low quality of life (QoL), showed more severe affiliate stigma. Family caregivers who were female, older, with low income, high affiliate stigma and low QoL, experienced greater caregiving burden. Conclusions: The large majority of FCPWS in rural China experienced severe affiliate stigma, caregiving burden and poor QoL. It is crucial to develop culture-specific anti-stigma interventions to reduce caregivers' stigma and caregiving burden, and improve QoL. Specific risk factors of family caregivers' affiliate stigma and caregiving burden should be considered for development of health policy and community-based mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Identifying health conditions of persons with cognitive impairment (PCI) in the community and exploring their implications for caregiving experience are vital for effective allocation of healthcare resources. This study examined distinct PCI health profiles among community-dwelling PCI and their association with caregiving burden and benefits. Methods: Latent profile analysis and multivariable regression were applied to dyadic data from 266 PCI and their caregivers in Singapore. Results: Three PCI health profiles were identified: less impaired (40% of PCI), moderately impaired (30%), and severely impaired (30%). Caregivers for severely impaired PCI were more likely to report a higher level of caregiving burden, and caregivers for moderately impaired PCI were more likely to report a higher level of caregiving benefits, compared to caregivers for less impaired PCI. Conclusion: The findings captured heterogeneity in health status among PCI in the community. Tailored interventions, based on PCI health profiles, should be designed to reduce caregiving burden and increase caregiving benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: To explore caregiving burden, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), stress, and individual resources of parents in the care of children with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) or idiopathic short stature (ISS). Methods: Focused interview analysis of previously, within the Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) project, conducted structured focus group discussions (n=7) with parents (n=33) of children with IGHD/ISS aged 4 to 18 years were performed. Results: 26 out of the 33 parents reported mental stress due to their child's growth disorder. Social pressure and stigmatization were also mentioned as being demanding. Some parents reported having trouble with human growth hormone (hGH) treatment. Several parents wished for parent support groups with other likeminded parents of short-statured children. Conclusion: For physicians, it is essential to understand the parents' caregiving burden, stress, and individual resources in caring for IGHD/ISS children. If an impaired HRQOL is detected, psychological intervention for these parents may be scheduled, and coping mechanisms may be discussed. Furthermore, it seems essential for parents to be educated by their healthcare provider about the possible side effects of hGH treatment or to know where to find evidence-based information about it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The social support of caregivers is fundamental, and their quality of life, mental health, and the burden of caring are related to the social support they receive during their interaction with people. Because the coronavirus pandemic and related quarantine have affected people’s participation and social support, the caregivers’ lifestyle has changed, and they have become more isolated and lonely. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of the burden of care in the relationship between social support and mental health of family caregivers of elderly Iranians with chronic diseases of the nervous system during the coronavirus pandemic. Methods: We recruited a sample of 249 family caregivers of the elderly with Alzheimer, Parkinson, and stroke. The study data were collected by electronic questionnaires of perceived social support of Zimet, Novak care burden, and Goldberg mental health questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling. Results: This study showed that family caregivers experience high social support, a moderate care load, and their mental health is on the verge of illness during the coronavirus epidemic. The results of the Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling showed a positive and significant relationship between social support perceived by caregivers and their mental health, and the burden of care has a mediating role in this relationship. Discussion: Finally, because social support is effective in reducing the distress experienced by caregivers and improving their performance and mental health, future plans and interventions are expected to consider strengthening social support as primary prevention to protect caregivers from mental health symptoms.

PurposeTo explore caregiving burden, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), stress, and individual resources of parents in the care of children with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) or idiopathic short stature (ISS).MethodsFocused interview analysis of previously, within the Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) project, conducted structured focus group discussions (n=7) with parents (n=33) of children with IGHD/ISS aged 4 to 18 years were performed.Results26 out of the 33 parents reported mental stress due to their child’s growth disorder. Social pressure and stigmatization were also mentioned as being demanding. Some parents reported having trouble with human growth hormone (hGH) treatment. Several parents wished for parent support groups with other like-minded parents of short-statured children.ConclusionFor physicians, it is essential to understand the parents’ caregiving burden, stress, and individual resources in caring for IGHD/ISS children. If an impaired HRQOL is detected, psychological intervention for these parents may be scheduled, and coping mechanisms may be discussed. Furthermore, it seems essential for parents to be educated by their healthcare provider about the possible side effects of hGH treatment or to know where to find evidence-based information about it.

Background: Informal caregivers of older adults with dementia may experience substantial burdens during their caregiving process, especially when caring for older adults with other comorbid conditions. This study evaluated whether and how comorbidity burden for persons with dementia (PWD) was associated with caregivers’ physical, psychological, social, and financial burden as well as caregiving gain. Methods: Data were from 1,065 community-dwelling older adults living with dementia and their primary caregivers in the National Health and Aging Trends Study and the National Study of Caregiving. PWD’s comorbidity burden was measured by the count of chronic conditions and the pattern of comorbidity identified by the latent class analysis (LCA). We considered four domains of caregiving burden—physical, psychological, social, and financial burden. We used linear regressions to identify the unadjusted and adjusted associations between PWD’s comorbidity burden and caregiving burden and gain. Results: Of 1,065 PWD, 13.5% had 0–1 and 24.9% had 5 or more number of comorbid chronic conditions, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, an additional chronic condition is associated with an 0.11- and 0.36-point increase in caregivers’ physical and psychological burden, respectively. Caregivers of PWD with 5 or more chronic conditions had a 0.64- and 2.22-point higher score of physical and psychological burden, respectively, than those caring for PWD with 0 or 1 comorbid condition. LCA divided PWD into two classes, a high comorbidity class (69.0%) and a low comorbidity class (31.0%). Caregivers of PWD in the high comorbidity burden class had a 0.46-point higher score of physical caregiving burden than those in the low comorbidity burden class. No significant association was found between care recipients’ comorbidity burden and their caregivers’ social and financial burden or caregiving gain. Conclusions: The comorbidity burden of PWD was associated with their caregivers’ physical and psychological caregiving burden. Relevant interventions to manage the comorbid conditions of people living with dementia and support their caregivers are crucial to improving their physical health and psychological wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The caregiving burden is negatively associated with influenza vaccination among older adults. • The caregiving burden is not associated with pneumococcal vaccination among oldder adults. • Having a family physician mitigates the negative effect on influenza vaccination and it enhances both influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations among older adults. Influenza and pneumonia tend to be severe in older adults; thus, vaccination is necessary to prevent these illnesses. Vaccination is especially important for older family caregivers (OFCs) not only to prevent them from becoming ill, but also to prevent secondary infections in the family care receivers (FCRs), who are mostly frail older adults and have a higher risk of severe illness. Thus, we investigated whether caregiving burdens were associated with the vaccinations among older adults. We used cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), which was conducted in 64 Japanese municipalities from November 2019 to January 2020. The target population consisted of 26,177 individuals aged 65 years or older who were independent and did not need public long-term care. The primary outcome was the uptakes of either or both influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. Multinomial logistic regressions were performed, setting those who underwent neither vaccinations as the reference group. Among the participants, 23.3 %, 25.8 %, 9.4 %, or 41.5 % underwent neither, only influenza, only pneumococcal, or the both vaccinations, respectively. The caregiving frequency, time length in a day, or dementia of FCR were negatively associated with influenza vaccination (caregiving almost every day: relative risk ratio {RRR}: 0.39, 95 % confident interval {95 % CI} [0.24–0.63]; caregiving almost all day: 0.44, 95 % CI: 0.23–0.85; caregiving for FCR: RRR:0.55, 95 % CI: 0.34–0.91). On the other hand, those caregiving burdens were not associated with pneumococcal only or the both vaccinations. Having a family physician mitigated all the negative effect of the caregiving burdens on the vaccinations. Our results suggest that the caregiving burden is a barrier to influenza vaccination but not to pneumococcal vaccination and that having a physician mitigates the negative effect regardless of the burden kind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]